Archive for the 'Eureka! Masters of Cinema' Category
March 9th, 2022 by Gerard Iribe
After directing his triptych of political (and acclaimed) spaghetti westerns (The Big Gundown; Face to Face; and Run, Man, Run), Sergio Sollima directed two crime thrillers in the poliziotteschi genre – the name given to the violent and action-packed Italian crime thrillers that had become exceedingly popular amongst Italian audiences. Sollima was a perfect fit for this style of filmmaking, and the two films he directed in the genre are both essential viewing. Presented here is the second, Revolver, starring Oliver Reed and Fabio Testi. “Makes Death Wish look like wishful thinking!” was the immortal tagline that accompanied the film upon its US release (also retitled Blood in the Streets), but Revolver—as is to be expected from Sollima—is a much more complex film. Sollima was a highly political director and his films were often allegorical, implicitly opposed to the corruption endemic in Italian society at the time. With music by the late maestro, Ennio Morricone (including one of his most beloved compositions, Un Amico), Eureka Classics is proud to present Revolver from a new 4K restoration for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK! Revolver is released in the UK on Blu-ray May 16, 2022! Continue reading ‘‘Revolver’ on Blu-ray May 16!’
March 1st, 2022 by Gerard Iribe
The first foray into sound filmmaking by one of cinema’s pivotal artists, Vampyr remains a cornerstone work of the horror genre. The dreamlike tale of an occult-obsessed student’s visit to a small French village, as he is drawn into the unsettling mystery around a stricken family’s struggle with malevolent forces, remains an unparalleled evocation of the uncanny. Adapting the haunted stories of Sheridan Le Fanu, Carl Th. Dreyer‘s ceaseless innovation delivers a tour-de-force of supernatural phantasmagoria and creeping unease, via audacious camerawork and sound design. Vampyr is released on Blu-ray in the UK May 30, 2022! Continue reading ‘‘Vampyr’ on Blu-ray May 30!’
February 5th, 2022 by Gerard Iribe
Brothers Yipao (Yuen Biao) and Taipao (Leung Kar-yan) are a couple of down on their luck con-men. After getting soundly defeated by the kung fu master, Silver Fox (Lau Kar-wing), the brothers realize it would be in their own self-interest if they learn how to fight, and they ask him to train them. Unfortunately, their new master is actually a ruthless killer, and when the brothers realise this, one of them is murdered. To get revenge, the surviving brother must learn a unique form of kung-fu from an unlikely source, a beggar who just happens to be a master fighter! Knockabout is released on Blu-ray April 25, 2022! Continue reading ‘‘Knockabout’ on Blu-ray April 25, 2022!’
February 4th, 2022 by Gerard Iribe
A trio of chilling sci-fi tales from the vaults of Universal Pictures, starring a number of genre legends including Lionel Atwill (Son of Frankenstein), Lon Chaney, Jr. (The Wolf Man), and Grant Williams (The Incredible Shrinking Man). A mad scientist transforms a carnival performer (Lon Chaney, Jr.) into a murderous monster in Man-Made Monster (dir. George Waggner, 1941). In The Monolith Monsters (dir. John Sherwood, 1957), a giant meteor crashes to Earth and the fragments begin to spread – turning everyone they come into contact with to stone! And finally, fear stalks the seemingly tranquil halls of Dunsfield University in Monster on the Campus (dir. Jack Arnold, 1958) when a paleontology professor becomes infected with irradiated blood and begins to devolve into a primitive beast. Three Monster Tales of Sci-Fi Terror is released on Blu-ray April 11, 2022! Continue reading ‘‘Three Monster Tales of Sci-Fi Terror’ on Blu-ray April 11, 2022!’
February 4th, 2022 by Gerard Iribe
Dreadnaught is a cult favorite amongst martial arts fans, and Eureka Classics is proud to present the film in its UK debut on Blu-ray from a brand new 2K restoration! A violent criminal known only as ‘White Tiger’ (Yuen Shun-yee; Iron Monkey) is hiding amongst a theatre troupe, murdering anyone who discovers his identity (as well as anyone who happens to annoy him). Mousy, a timid laundry man (Yuen Biao; Project A), crosses paths with White Tiger several times but always manages to escape. When the killer instead targets his friend (Bryan “Beardy” Leung; Warriors Two), Mousy must overcome his cowardly nature and acquire the skills necessary to defeat the White Tiger. Dreadnaught is released on Blu-ray in the UK April 25, 2022! Continue reading ‘‘Dreadnaught’ on Blu-ray April 25, 2022!’
December 9th, 2021 by Gerard Iribe
Widely considered the greatest classical weapons movie ever made, Odd Couple stars Sammo Hung, Lau Kar-wing (also directing) and Bryan “Beardy” Leung Kar-yan (Dreadnaught, The Victim) in a classic tale of rivalry and vengeance. Two aging masters of the spear and sword engage in an epic mountaintop battle every ten years, but the outcome invariably ends in a draw. Realising that neither one of them will ever outclass the other, they each agree to take on a younger student and train them to champion their cause, thus putting an end to their longstanding rivalry.Showcasing some of the most intricate and explosive weapons choreography ever seen, this masterpiece remains a quintessential classic from the Golden Age of Hong Kong Cinema, and now makes its UK debut on Blu-ray from a brand new 2K restoration! Odd Couple will be released on Blu-ray March 21, 2022! Continue reading ‘‘Odd Couple’ on Blu-ray March 21, 2022!’
December 4th, 2021 by Gerard Iribe
Hearing impaired Kyung-mi (Ki-joo Jin) catches the attention of Do-Sik (Wi Ha-Jun; Squid Game), a mysterious serial killer that’s been stalking their neighbourhood. Do-Sik targets Kyung-mi, presuming her deafness will make her an easy target, sparking a twisted game where the killer hides in plain sight. An intense, unpredictable thriller from debut director Kwon Oh-seung; Midnight joins the pantheon of great South Korean thrillers. Midnight will be released on Blu-ray in the UK March 14, 2022!
Continue reading ‘‘Midnight’ on Blu-ray March 14, 2022!’
May 26th, 2021 by Gerard Iribe
The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present three early silent features from Universal Pictures, all fully restored as part of the studio’s ongoing restoration program. Skinner’s Dress Suit (dir. William A. Seiter, 1926) – Reginald Denny stars as a shy clerk who asks his boss for a raise at the urging of his wife. His request is rejected, but he lies to his wife, who immediately goes out and buys an expensive suit, an act that upends his once-ordered life. (4K Restoration) The Shield of Honor (dir. Emory Johnson, 1927) – The LAPD has a new method of fighting crime, the Air Police! Their newest recruit, young hotshot pilot Jack MacDowell (Neil Hamilton), is tasked with catching a gang of jewellery thieves. (2K Restoration) (Worldwide Debut on Blu-ray) The Shakedown (dir. William Wyler, 1929) – Dave Roberts (James Murray) is a fighter better known for taking falls in fixed fights than for taking home the prize money. But then he falls head-over-heels for a fiery waitress (Barbara Kent) and a rough-and-tumble orphan (Jack Hanlon), and he begins to dramatically alter his life inside and outside of the ring. (4K Restoration) Early Universal Vol. 1 is released on Blu-ray August 16, 2021! Continue reading ‘‘Early Universal Vol. 1’ on Blu-ray August 16, 2021!’
May 24th, 2021 by Gerard Iribe
Robert Foxworth and Talia Shire star as a doctor and his wife who travel to Maine to research the impact of the lumber industry on the local environment. They begin to investigate a succession of mysterious and terrifying events: ecological freaks of nature and a series of bizarre and grisly human deaths. Something unimaginably horrible waits in the woods. Something unwittingly created by man, that will become an uncontrollable, merciless machine of destruction. A graphically violent piece of environmental horror from director John Frankenheimer, Prophecy comes to Blu-ray for the first time ever in the UK! Continue reading ‘‘Prophecy’ on Blu-ray August 16, 2021!’
April 30th, 2021 by Gerard Iribe
A streetwise young man becomes a bodyguard to score quick cash. He soon befriends a once disillusioned mercenary determined to make a fresh start with his new wife. Although the two men find themselves working together to foil an assassination attempt, their partnership is short-lived. Through uncontrollable circumstances, they will unknowingly be propelled toward the opposite sides of a deadly confrontation. A noir infused Hong Kong action thriller from Tsui Hark (Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain; Once Upon a Time in China) starring Nicholas Tse and Wu Bai (who would later appear together in New Police Story), Time and Tide was nominated for six Hong Kong film awards and remains one of Tsui’s most acclaimed features. Time and Tide is released on Blu-ray in the UK May 24, 2021! Continue reading ‘‘Time and Tide’ on Blu-ray May 24, 2021!’
April 30th, 2021 by Gerard Iribe
Chow Yun-fat gives a career best performance in Wild Search, his third collaboration with director Ringo Lam (City on Fire, Full Contact). Yun-fat plays Lau, a widowed police officer investigating a gang of gun runners. When a shootout with the criminals leaves a woman dead, and her daughter the only surviving witness, Lau must protect the young girl from the ruthless gang that wants her dead. A loose re-imagining of Peter Weir’s 1985 film Witness, Wild Search showcases Ringo Lam’s often underrated versatility as a director. With beautiful cinematography by Andrew Lau (Infernal Affairs) and a dreamy score by Lowell Lo, Eureka Classics is proud to present Wild Search in its UK debut on Blu-ray July 19, 2021! Continue reading ‘‘Wild Search’ on Blu-ray July 19, 2021!’
April 30th, 2021 by Gerard Iribe
The Far East meets the Old West in this iconic action-packed adventure from the inimitable Sammo Hung. Hung plays a loveable rogue who teams up with an incorruptible Sheriff (Yuen Biao; Project A, Wheels on Meals) to save their home town from certain destruction. Featuring an explosion of brawls, bandits, and bordellos; The Millionaires’ Express [Foo gwai lip che] is Sammo Hung’s loving tribute to classic Western tropes, but also one of his finest pieces of action cinema. An electrifying fast-paced fusion of dynamic martial artistry, death-defying stunts, and physical comedy. Also starring Rosamund Kwan, Richard Ng, and Cynthia Rothrock (plus an abundance of cameos from other Hong Kong cinema legends) – The Millionaires’ Express makes its UK debut on Blu-ray in this definitive edition as part of Eureka Classics. The Millionaires’ Express is released on Blu-ray in the UK July 26, 2021!
Continue reading ‘‘The Millionaires Express’ on Blu-ray July 26, 2021!’
April 1st, 2021 by Gerard Iribe
Set against a Hong Kong that never sleeps, a stolen police gun triggers a suspenseful chain of events. Tracking down his missing gun before dawn, Sergeant Lo first has his car vandalized and is then beaten up. Suddenly he finds himself edged between two gangs on the brink of a bloodbath, whilst at the same time staving off investigations by both Vice Squad and Homicide Units embroiled in their own turf war. His only lifeline is a maverick Police Tactical Unit squad who have one night to help him find his gun. An atmospheric noir thriller from director Johnnie To, The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present PTU in its UK debut on Blu-ray June 21, 2021! Continue reading ‘‘PTU’ on Blu-ray June 21, 2021!’
March 31st, 2021 by Gerard Iribe
Reuniting the star and director of Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari, The Hands of Orlac [Orlac’s Hände] is a deliciously twisted thriller that blends grand guignol thrills with the visual and performance styles of German Expressionism.vBased on a novel by medical-horror novelist Maurice Renard, it charts the mental disintegration of a concert pianist (Conrad Veidt) whose hands are amputated after a train crash, and replaced with the hands of an executed murderer. When Orlac’s father is murdered by the dead man’s hands, Orlac begins a steady descent towards madness. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present The Hands of Orlac for the first time on home video in the UK in a special Blu-ray edition. The Hands of Orlac is released on Blu-ray in the UK June 14, 2021! Continue reading ‘‘The Hands of Orlac’ on Blu-ray June 14, 2021!’
December 16th, 2020 by Gerard Iribe
In the future, life will be a dream. And reality a nightmare. In a post-apocalyptic world, one woman (Marta Alicia) relies on computer fantasies to entertain herself, but a glitch sends her to a far-off wasteland to deal with monsters called Crawlers. She is saved by a young rebel (Bruce Campbell; the Evil Dead franchise, Bubba Ho-Tep), but the pair are later captured and brought underground by the Crawlers. There, an overlord called the Seer (Angus Scrimm; the Phantasm series) presides over the kingdom and tries to make life miserable for his captives. Mindwarp will be released on Blu-ray February 22, 2021! Continue reading ‘‘Mindwarp’ on Blu-ray February 22, 2021!’
December 16th, 2020 by Gerard Iribe
Women are being abducted for bio-hacking experiments. Can Mia unravel the nightmare, or will she become the next test subject? A renowned health supplement company, run by a ruthless businesswoman (Signe Egholm Olsen), is selecting and abducting young women as part of an experiment bio-hacking babies DNA to enable her clients to reverse the ageing process. When Mia (Sara Hjort Ditlevsen, Borgman) goes to investigate, she finds herself trapped, branded and tortured in a grim underground facility. Familiar faces start to appear, and she realizes that she is not alone in this. Can she somehow find inner strength and escape from the nightmare? Montage Pictures presents Breeder, on Blu-ray February 15, 2021! Continue reading ‘‘Breeder’ on Blu-ray February 15, 2021!’
December 16th, 2020 by Gerard Iribe
In every second of every day, it improves our lives. And in a flash, it can end them. In today s world of modern conveniences, everything we rely on is run by electricity. But what happens if the power we take for granted turns against us? Old man Holger knows. He claims electricity is a living presence, whose voice can only be silenced by getting rid of anything that can hear it. Bill Rockland (Cliff De Young; Shock Treatment, Flight of the Navigator) however, refuses to believe him. It must have been an accident when an electric spark ruptured the gas pipe that nearly killed Bill s son (Joey Lawrence). And it s surely a coincidence when his wife (Roxanne Hart) is severely scalded by their electric water heater. But when his own power tools attack him and an electrical fire turns their home into a blazing inferno, Bill realizes Holger may have been right after all, and perhaps the time has come to finally pull the plug! Pulse will be released on Blu-ray via Eureka Classics February 22, 2021! Continue reading ‘‘Pulse’ on Blu-ray February 22, 2021′
December 16th, 2020 by Gerard Iribe
The final film from one of German cinema’s great filmmakers, The Last Warning, from a 4K restoration on Blu-ray, arrives February 2021. Adapted from Thomas F. Fallon’s 1922 Broadway play of the same name, The Last Warning is based on the story The House of Fear by Wadsworth Camp and centers on an unsolved murder that occurs during a live Broadway performance. When the victim’s body goes missing, the death remains unsolved and the theater is condemned. That is, until years later when a suspicious new “producer” arrives to re-stage the play with the original cast and crew. Part of Universal s ongoing silent restoration initiative, The Last Warning honors the studio’s rich film history that has spanned more than a century. Universal’s team of restoration experts conducted a worldwide search for The Last Warning s available elements, ultimately working with materials from the Cinémathèque française and the Packard Humanities Institute Collection in the UCLA Film & Television Archive. The Masters of Cinema series is proud to present the completed 4K restoration on Blu-ray, the first time the film has ever been available on home video in the UK. The Last Warning is presented on Blu-ray from a 4K restoration on home video for the first time in the UK February 15, 2021! Continue reading ‘‘The Last Warning’ on Blu-ray February 15, 2021!’
